Cop Shop
by JeanieMD
Summary: The holiday season creates additional problems for police officers. There are increased thefts from parked cars, and increased incidents of impaired driving, and increased episodes of domestic abuse. Wouldn't it be great to find a way to reclaim some of the joy of the season?
1. Chapter 1

**Cop Shop**

Andy gave an exasperated grunt and picked up the remote to turn the TV off. "If I see one more Christmas commercial I may explode! We just had Halloween and now it's all Christmas shopping and Christmas specials and Christmas music and Christmas cooking shows and Christmas crafts. It's still eight weeks away! I don't get why everybody isn't just sick of it all. I sure am."

Sam had looked up from the book he was reading and had watched and listened to this rant with a bemused expression on his face. "Want to talk about it, McNally?"

"There's nothing to talk about," Andy snapped and stomped out to the kitchen where the banging and slamming were a pretty clear warning that perhaps it would be safest not to follow her.

Sam turned back to his book, but his concentration had been disturbed and he couldn't get back into it. He put it down on the coffee table and reached for the remote control. With any luck he'd find something totally un-Christmasy before Andy came back. As he began channel surfing his attention was caught by something on the History channel. The program guide said it was about the recent discovery in Mexico City of a platform where it was believed that dead rulers had been cremated. "That's about as far from Christmas as I'm likely to find," he muttered to himself as he settled back to watch.

He was disappointed to find that the program was a pretty dry discussion by some archaeology professors, all talk and very little on-site coverage, so it was almost a relief when Andy came back and sat down beside him.

"Sorry to interrupt," she began as Sam switched off the TV.

"No problem – it wasn't nearly as interesting as I thought it would be," he answered as he reached his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. "Feeling better?"

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that. I just get so sick of all the marketing at this time of year. I have been wondering though - what are _we_ going to do about our first real Christmas together?"

Sam looked up quickly, startled by the question. "Do? What do you mean? Do we have to do anything? I usually try to ignore it unless I go to Sarah's. She makes a fuss for her husband and kids. But this year I think they are going out west to visit his family, so I thought we would just lie low here."

"You don't enjoy the holiday season either?" Andy asked. A look of dismay crossed her face. "Oh, Sam, of course you wouldn't – it must bring back memories of when you were a kid, and the way your dad treated your mother, and the cops being called. I'm sorry, I should have remembered."

"No, that's OK," Sam reassured her. "I usually just try to shove all those memories back into the past where they belong. But if you want to have a Christmas celebration that would be fine with me."

"No, that's not what I want at all," Andy said quickly. "My Christmas memories aren't all that great either. My mother left us a few days before Christmas Eve, so that year was pretty messed up even though there was already a tree. And then it just became the excuse for the annual holiday binge, with my dad 'celebrating' by consuming all the liquor he could get hold of. It's definitely not my favourite time of the year."

"Well, we don't have to do anything at all, then. I'd suggest we get out of town for a few days but I saw the new schedule on Oliver's desk and we're both working right through from the 20th to the 27th."

"Perfect. Nothing says holiday season like cruising around watching for drunk drivers and thieves targeting parked cars loaded with gifts in plain view."

"You know what, McNally? I think you need something to take your mind off the whole Christmas thing for a while," Sam said thoughtfully.

"Did you have something in mind?" Andy asked.

"Oh, I don't know – maybe a nice relaxing bubble bath? I'll even volunteer to wash your back."

"Sounds interesting, but I think I'll conserve water and have a shower instead. It'll be quicker."

"Are you in a hurry, McNally? A quick shower doesn't sound very relaxing."

"Kind of a hurry, yeah – I just thought we should make it an early night tonight."

"Why is that – you need some extra sleep?"

"I do need something, but it's not sleep," Andy responded, looking back over her shoulder as she headed towards the bathroom.

"I like the way you think, McNally," Sam called after her as he followed her. "I could still wash your back for you."

"I don't know, Sam – if we shower together it might not be very quick at all," Andy's voice was muffled as she pulled her sweater over her head.

"Sure it will – come on, get out of those clothes and into the shower." Sam had shucked off his t-shirt and jeans on the way into the bathroom and was already turning on the water. "Do you need any help? No buttons or zippers? I could unfasten your bra…"

"That's OK, thanks, I can undress myself."

"But it's so much more fun when I help, isn't it?"

He grabbed Andy's hand and pulled her into his arms. "I guess it is," Andy laughed as she looked up into his face. "You are nothing if not fun."

Sam reached around and undid her bra, then slid his hands down her sides to reach her snowflake-patterned sleep pants. "Let's just get you out of these," he murmured into her ear, sending little shivers all over her skin.

"You're not going to stop until I'm naked, are you, no matter what I say?" Andy asked thoughtfully.

"Oh, I'll stop if you really want me to," Sam said, raising an eyebrow. "Do you want me to?"

"No, I think maybe you're right," Andy sighed, lifting her face up to his. "Why don't I just postpone that shower until morning? "

"Good idea," Sam replied. "I'd better go turn off the water."

When he came back into the bedroom he paused for a moment, just to look at her lying across the bed. He never grew tired of that sight, especially when she was naked. When she turned her head towards the door and saw him looking, she blushed and tried to pull the sheet across her body.

"No, don't do that! I didn't mean to embarrass you – and why would you be embarrassed anyway? Not like I haven't seen you naked before," Sam protested.

"I know, but..."

"But nothing," Sam replied as he lay down beside her. "I like to look at you. Don't you want me to like looking at you?"

"Of course I do," Andy admitted. "It's just – I don't know what it is exactly. I've never really liked the way I look – I still feel like the skinny awkward gangly too-tall kid I was in high school."

"McNally, I gotta tell you – that is definitely not how I see you," Sam protested.

"Oh, I know, but when you've seen yourself a certain way for a long time, it's hard to change."

"Well, come here and I'll see if I can't find some way to convince you," Sam murmured as he gathered her into his arms.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note – I was reminded by my dear fan Guest that "** **Canon Sarah Swarek had no husband or kids". Since I am not a writer for the show, I occasionally create non-canon situations or character traits. In my RB world (or one of them, because not all my stories fit into the same mould) Sarah has moved past the trauma of her early years and now, happily, has a family. I for one am glad for her.**

The next morning before Parade Andy joined Dov, Chris and Gail at the coffee machine. Chris and Gail were talking about some kids they had been watching for the last few days.

"They aren't bad kids," Chris said, "but they have nothing to do, nothing to look forward to, and they are just a perfect target for some gangbanger who needs runners, or maybe some little sneak thieves. The stores are so busy because of Christmas that kids could be in and out before anyone noticed them."

"Oh, don't get me started about Christmas," Gail snapped. "There's so much holly-jollying going on that I could puke. Who came up with all this caring, and giving, and trying to get your name on the 'Nice' list?"

"And there she is, the Spirit of Christmas Dead," Dov said with a slightly malicious smirk. "What's the matter, Peck, are you afraid Santa won't bring you any presents because you've been so naughty?"

"Shut up, Epstein," Gail hissed. "If you think..."

"Parade!" came Oliver's bellow from the squad room. "Where is everybody? Why am I not seeing rows of eager morning faces waiting for my words of wisdom?"

The squad room filled quickly and Oliver called for everyone's attention. "I'm dreaming of a white Christmas," he sang, and there was a smattering of applause and a chorus of boos. "That was just to get you in the proper mood," he said with a big smile. "Every Christmas we try to do something special for the holidays. We collect toys and food for the Community Christmas Campaign, and last year we adopted a family to try to make a nice Christmas for them with all the fixings for dinner, toys and games, and new winter jackets for everyone. .."

"I delivered the food hamper," Gail interrupted. "The parents said we were their Christmas angels," she said dreamily. "I liked being an angel, but then the kids started fighting over the toys and the candy and they got really wild. I wanted to smack them but Dov wouldn't let me," she said, sticking her tongue out at him.

"Nice, Peck," Oliver said. "Way to demonstrate the spirit of giving. And speaking of giving, I thought we might try something a little different this year. I have a buddy in Winnipeg who told me about their Cop Shop project. About a hundred kids from the inner city get to go on a gift-shopping spree in a mall, with prepaid gift cards so they can buy presents for their parents and siblings. Police officers handle the transportation, and escort them around the mall (hence the name, "Cop Shop"), usually one officer for every two kids. Then they get a nice lunch in the food court before they go home. It takes place when the mall is closed to the public, or at least during their least busy hours. I'm thinking our division could do something similar with kids from the projects, especially in areas where gangs are beginning to recruit pre-teens. Give the kids the idea that we're not their enemies."

"Sounds like an awful lot of work," Gail grumbled, but she was drowned out by the enthusiastic babble that filled the squad room.

"I'll take that as a go-ahead to pursue the idea?" Oliver asked, and there was a chorus of voices in agreement.

Oliver gave some quick updates on ongoing cases, news about crimes that had occurred overnight, and car or desk assignments. "Alright then, let's get out there and patrol those mean streets," Oliver concluded and in less than ten minutes they headed in their different directions to get the shift underway.

Gail and Andy were riding together, and their day turned out to be filled with nuisance calls like too-loud music, a 10-year-old caught shoplifting some comic books, a teenager spotted tagging the side door of his high school. Not that they wanted any major crimes to happen during their shift, but maybe a high-speed car chase or something just to keep them awake.

They did discuss the Cop Shop idea, and Andy suggested that this would be a perfect way to reach the kids they had been talking about before Parade. "It would give them an alternative to gang activity. The gangbangers make them think that we are their enemies, and we need to show them that we really are here to help them, and we can be their friends. "

"I don't do 'friends' – you know that," Gail sneered.

"Wouldn't you like to get that whole "Christmas angel" feeling again?" Andy laughed. "I can just see you with your wings and a little tinsel halo."

"Shut up, McNally," Gail snapped and the rest of the shift passed in silence.

While Sam and Andy were having a light supper of sandwiches and homemade soup, she brought up the Cop Shop project. "You know, this is the first thing that has made me feel excited about the holidays in a long time," she burbled enthusiastically.

"You really like the idea of wrangling hostile kids through stores full of tempting items for them to try to sneak into their pockets, McNally?" Sam asked dubiously.

"Sam, maybe we could be for those kids the kind of influence that Charlie was for you! He turned you from a juvenile delinquent selling stolen car parts into the fine, upstanding detective you are today. Wouldn't you like to do that for some other kid? It would be paying it forward."

"That's one of the things I love about you, Andy – your optimism in the face of potential disaster," Sam said as he carried the dishes out to the kitchen. "I guess it might work," he called back over his shoulder as he loaded them into the dishwasher.

"I really think it would, and I'll try anything that makes us feel happier about the whole Christmas season," Andy continued.

"Okie-doke, we'll let Oliver know in the morning that he can count on us," Sam replied as he pressed the dishwasher's Start button. "Now the next important issue – do you want to take your lunch tomorrow or are you planning to pick something up while you're on the road?"

"Why?" Andy inquired. "Were you thinking we could meet for lunch somewhere?"

"No, I'm just making my own lunch, and it's just as easy to pack two," Sam responded as he headed for the fridge. Andy smiled to herself, anticipating his reaction as he opened the door to find two lunches already packed and ready for the morning.

"When did you have time to do this?" Sam queried, eyebrows raised.

"I whipped them up while you were in the shower," Andy answered. "I don't think it's fair that you end up with that job all the time."

"You know I don't mind – I actually enjoy puttering around out here – but this is great! It gives us a little extra time."

"Time for what?" Andy teased.

"I'll figure something out," Sam chuckled.


	3. Chapter 3

Oliver Shaw walked briskly into the Parade room and stopped short. Where normally he would see groups of officers chatting, teasing, laughing, reading the newspaper, or trying hard to stay awake, on this particular morning he was greeted by a sea of faces, turned expectantly towards him. It was so quiet he could hardly believe that these were indeed the officers and detectives of 15.

"What's going on here, people? Did somebody die?" he demanded.

The silence gave way to an excited babble combined with a deeper rumbling, with everyone trying to get his attention to offer a suggestion or to ask a question.

"All right, all right, all right, enough! Quiet!" he bellowed, and the din subsided gradually to the point where he thought he might be heard. "What's gotten into you guys this morning – over-caffeinated? Somebody spiked the water fountains with some form of stimulant? C'mon, people, get me into the loop!"

"It's your Cop Shop idea," Chloe burbled happily. "We're all really excited about it and we want to start planning so we can make it happen here in Toronto."

There were nods of agreement and some subdued chatter all over the room, but everyone was still paying close attention to Oliver.

"We really can't start on this right now, boys and girls – there are criminals stalking our streets and inattentive drivers creating havoc on our roads. Plenty of time to discuss this later," Oliver replied. "Get out there and do a good job, and when you come back at the end of shift we'll talk Cop Shop."

The officers looked disappointed but made their way to their assignments for the day. Andy and Chris were supposed to monitor vehicle traffic in school zones; there had recently been a serious incident when a kid was hit by a driver who was both breaking the reduced limit in the school zone, and texting. Oliver had decided it was time to give drivers a refresher course in sign reading and proactive driving. They parked their car around the corner from an elementary school, sipped at the coffee they had picked up on their way, and chatted about the shopping project.

"Like Oliver said, the event includes picking the kids up, transporting them to the mall, feeding them, and of course the main event, the shopping spree - every kid gets a $200 gift card donated by the mall," Chris offered.

"How do they pick the kids to participate?" Andy asked curiously.

"I guess there's different ways, but mostly they are chosen based on their community volunteer efforts, academic achievements, and need," Chris responded. "It must be pretty tough to choose, especially in some areas of the city."

"I'm sure. And how exactly do we participate?"

"Each of us will be partnered with one or two kids. We pick them up at their school, get them to the mall at 9:30 a.m., and spend two hours shopping. The gift cards are good for any of the mall's stores," Chris said. "Apparently in Winnipeg some of the kids have never been to the shopping centre that sponsors the event. I heard that one year a kid wanted to use a good part of his gift card for Kraft Dinner, because his family needed food. Now the two grocery stores in the mall actually put some food items right in the bags the kids get to take home."

Andy shook her head. "I really hate to think about how many kids there are who go to bed hungry and wake up hungry – how are they supposed to learn anything?"

"I know," Chris agreed. "But there's lots of food on this trip. They get breakfast, and a pizza lunch donated by vendors in the mall. So do we!"

"It really is a great idea," Andy said thoughtfully. "Too many kids, especially in the inner city, see us as the enemy. This would give them the chance to meet us in positive surroundings, having fun with them, instead of times like a parent being arrested – or worse, having to make a death announcement. The kids could see us and realize that we are just like them, just members of the community too."

"Right," Chris replied. "There's a huge difference if we take them shopping all day, and enjoy lunch with them, instead of having to take them to the hospital or Child and Family Services or wherever. Cop Shop Day is just all fun, all smiles."

"Yeah," Andy added, "We'd get to know them, and they'd get to know us on a different level."

"Oh, I forgot," Chris exclaimed excitedly, "The kids get to see Santa, and he or his elves give them each a stocking full of surprise treats."

Andy tried to hide her smile. Chris really was just a big kid.

The day passed very, very slowly – apparently the drivers in their area were actually paying attention, which was a nice change. As the end of their shift approached they headed back to 15. When they got inside they found their fellow officers, some already showered and changed, some still in uniform, all waiting expectantly for Oliver to join them.

"OK, people, it's good to see you all here – let's get right down to it. I'm sure most of you managed to squeeze out a few seconds during your day to do an online search, so you know the underlying concept," he began. "We get the schools to pick the kids, using the criteria of grades, community volunteering, and need. I reached out to the two closest malls to see if they'd be interested, and they were both very enthusiastic. So the basic parts of the program are covered. We'll have a sign-up sheet to see who's interested in participating, and proceed from there."

With the project seemingly in good hands and underway, the room cleared out pretty quickly. Andy headed for the Ds' office where she found Sam just finishing tidying his desk, ready to leave.

"It looks like this is really going to happen," she reported. "I think it's going to be a great project for us."

"I haven't heard whether we'll get a chance to participate," Sam began. "So far it looks like maybe only uniforms will be involved."

"Maybe somebody in the detective department needs to let our Staff Sergeant know that you guys want to be part of it too," Andy offered. "You still want to, don't you?" Her expression radiated hope mixed with apprehension.

"This really is important to you, isn't it?" he asked gently.

"It is," she answered quickly. "I think this is just what we need, to replace the bad memories we both have with new, happy ones."

"Don't worry about it, McNally," Sam responded, "from everything I've heard about it, I think it really could go a long way to making me appreciate Christmas. It's definitely worth trying."

"Great!" Andy said happily. "Now let's get out of here."

"You wanna go straight home, or stop at The Penny for a quick one?" Sam asked as he shrugged into his jacket.

"I don't mind stopping at The Penny, but let's not stay too long," Andy answered.

"Right," Sam agreed and they headed for the parking lot.


	4. Chapter 4

_As I read this review, I found myself agreeing with Guest. I shouldn't be boring people with my attempts to add to the story of Andy and Sam._

 **From: Guest**  
 **:Why do you bother? Serious question. Is your own life so dull and empty that you feel compelled to inflict it on everyone else?**

 _So I think that I need to step back, until perhaps I can come up with something more entertaining. I do apologize if I have let you down._


	5. Chapter 5

**AN – thank you to the readers who posted such encouraging messages. I'll keep on going with the story, and try to develop a thicker skin. I appreciate the support.**

At The Penny the main topic of conversation was still the new project. Predictably Chloe was wildly enthusiastic, Gail sat sullenly, a sneer on her face; Dov made a hugely inappropriate comment about hoping the kids he escorted on the shopping trip were hot girls, and Chris just radiated excitement as he listened to the chatter.

Andy and Sam joined Oliver at the bar and ordered two beers. Oliver was shaking his head as he turned on his stool and surveyed his officers. "You'd think that after all this time on the job there wouldn't be anything that could get these cops excited, but just look at them! They are like little kids in a candy store."

"They sure are," Sam agreed. "For example, look at Peck over there – just a bubbly little Christmas elf!"

"She really used to bother me, you know, but now I just think it's so sad," Andy contributed. "Where other people look at the world through rose-coloured glasses, Gail's seem to be permanently fogged up, and if she could manage to see through them they wouldn't be rose-coloured, they'd be greige."

Oliver spun towards her on his bar stool. "Did you say 'greige", McNally?"

"I did," Andy laughed. "I didn't make it up – it is actually a combination of grey and beige, and personally I can't think of anything more depressing. I wish we could find a way to get Gail some new glasses."

"What do you think about this whole Cop Shop thing, Sammy?" Oliver asked, looking intently at his friend.

"Actually, Oliver, this whole idea has made me feel a little bit excited about Christmas, and that's something that I didn't think I would ever feel again," Sam replied.

Andy felt a little flicker of happiness, sensing that he seemed to be throwing himself willingly into the project. She would be grateful for anything that could help him past all the horrible memories of Swarek family Christmases. The only problem with her own had been her dad's drinking, and that didn't even come close to what Sam had gone through, seeing his father abuse his mother, and being on the receiving end of some pretty brutal treatment himself.

Oliver was looking very thoughtful, staring at his beer bottle with a little frown.

"What's up, Oliver?" Andy inquired, reaching over and smoothing the frown lines with her fingers.

"Geez, McNally, your hand is wet and ice cold! What are you doing?" Oliver asked, flinching away from her efforts.

"Oh, I'm sorry – I guess I shouldn't have used my beer-holding hand. Sorry about that. Here, let me dry you off. She scrubbed at his forehead with a couple of napkins until he swatted her hands away.

Oliver scowled at Sam. "Don't you dare laugh," he ordered. "Can't you make her behave?"

Sam, who had just taken a swig from his beer bottle, snorted and started coughing. Both Andy and Oliver started pounding him on the back until he held up his hand to fend them off. "Stop! I'm fine," he managed to get out. "I was just reacting to your suggestion that I – or anyone else, for that matter – could 'make' Andy McNally behave. Seriously, Oliver?"

"Oh how foolish of me," Oliver responded. "I wasn't thinking. What I _was_ thinking, before McNally started pawing me, was who I could ask to organize the whole thing."

San frowned thoughtfully, looking over at the group that he still tended to think of as rookies. Andy just looked at Oliver with a quizzical expression.

"You can't think of who to put in charge? C'mon. Staff Sergeant, it's simple. You need Chloe to contact the schools, act as liaison with the mall, fill the kids' bags with their take-home stuff. And so on. And Gail can be the detail person, setting up the schedule of events, choosing the teams of officers – did you want them working in pairs? Or were you thinking a single cop with one or two kids?" Andy was on a roll, and Oliver and Sam looked at each other, nodded, and turned back to watch Andy, still talking and gesturing dramatically.

"Thank you, McNally," Oliver interrupted. "Excellent suggestions. I'll get right on that. But I do think that we need an overall co-ordinator, and it occurs to me that..."

"Good night, Oliver, we gotta go" Sam said heartily as he gave Oliver a one-armed hug, pulling Andy up and off her bar stool after stuffing her mouth with a few peanuts from the bowl on the bar.

"Sam!" Andy protested, although her words were largely muffled by the peanuts she was rapidly chewing. "I had a few more ideas..."

"McNally," Sam expostulated. "Weren't you ever taught not to talk with your mouth full? Just be quiet until you swallow."

Oliver watched Sam trying to wrestle Andy away from the bar to head for the door. His smile just kept growing as he noted the look of slight desperation on his buddy's face. It seemed to him that Sam was trying to avert the very strong possibility that Oliver was going to appoint his project co-ordinator right then and there.

"See you tomorrow," Sam called back over his shoulder as he half-led, half-dragged the reluctant Andy to the door. "Would you just stop for a minute?" he muttered at Andy. "Unless, of course, you _want_ to be named Cop Shop Co-ordinator."

Andy's eyes widened and she swallowed hurriedly so she could speak. She immediately started coughing and Sam used his free hand to thump her back a few times. "There's a bottle of water in the truck," he reassured her. "You'll be fine."

"Thanks for being so considerate," Andy wheezed. "I just hope I don't die before we get there." She was still coughing sporadically and tears were streaming down her face.

Sam pulled her close to his side as they kept walking. "You'll be fine, McNally. I just had to stop your chatter and get you out of there."

"I do actually get your point, Sam," Andy spluttered. "Just because I get good ideas does not mean that I want to be the one in charge of arranging things!"

"Exactly," Sam said as they reached the truck and opened the passenger door. "Hop in."

As they drove through the busy streets Andy found herself enjoying the Christmas lights. "You know something?" she began. "All this talk about the Cop Shop project has actually improved my mood and I can enjoy some of the things that were annoying me so much. The lights are really beautiful," she continued.

"They are," Sam agreed. "Maybe I should put some up."

They pulled up in front of the house and Andy looked both ways along the street. There were a few undecorated houses but most had at least a string of lights around the windows. "That would actually be nice," she answered.

While Sam was checking the doors and windows, and turning off the lights, Andy headed upstairs. By the time Sam came up she was in t-shirt and boy shorts, brushing her teeth.

Sam came into the bathroom and stood close behind her, resting one hand against the basin on either side of her. She pushed back against him, trying to get a little more room to finish up, but he leaned forward with more purpose. It wasn't difficult for Andy to realize that he had something definite in mind.

Sticking her toothbrush in the holder she managed to push him just far enough away from her that she could turn around. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her. "I like this new toothpaste," he said with a grin. "Very refreshing." He ducked his head and nuzzled into her neck. With one hand he started gathering up the bottom of her t-shirt, loosening his grip to tug it up over her head. Tossing it aside he returned his attention to her neck, nibbling gently on her ear.

Andy closed her eyes and enjoyed the sensation of Sam's strong arms holding her, and his warm mouth sending shivery waves of pure pleasure throughout her whole body. Then she pulled slightly away and tilted her head so she could look at him. Leaning back into him she lifted her mouth to his.

Sam's dark eyes gazed into hers, and he pulled her even closer, his lips touching hers softly at first, then with growing passion. The kiss lasted a long time, and when it ended it took Andy a moment before she could speak.

"Why don't we take this somewhere a bit more comfortable?" she asked breathlessly.

"Good idea," Sam agreed.

"First let's make this less one-sided in terms of clothing," said Andy, grabbing the bottom of his t-shirt, pulling it right up over his elbows so his hands were waving above his head. She took advantage of his position by tickling him all over his upper body, paying special attention to the area just above the waistband of his jeans. Suddenly Sam was able to get himself out of his t-shirt and he grabbed Andy, wrapping his arms around her and holding her tight.

"Just stop that," he growled, "You know I don't like being tickled."

"Come on, everybody enjoys a good tickle once in a while!" Andy retorted. "Don't be such a baby."

"A baby, am I? Let's see what this baby is capable of!" and he picked Andy up and threw her over his shoulder. Heading for the bedroom he tossed her into the middle of the bed and pounced, holding her down with one hand while he tickled her mercilessly until her shrieks of laughter turned into hiccups.

"Now look what you've done," she said, trying to look cross, but dissolving into laughter punctuated by "hics".

"Sorry about that – shall I try to scare them out of you?" asked Sam.

"I think you've already done enough, thank you very much," Andy retorted.

"Maybe not _quite_ enough," Sam murmured into her ear, once again sending shivers all over her body as he bent down to kiss her. "Just a second," he whispered, "Let me lose these," and he stood up to get rid of his jeans.

Andy lay back against the pillow, enjoying the view. Sam folded up his jeans and was putting them neatly on the chair in the corner. Andy grimaced, looking back over her shoulder where a rumpled assortment of her clothing lay on the floor. Sam noticed where she was looking and laughed.

"I like having you around for reasons other than your neat and tidy habits, McNally," he chuckled. He came back to the bed and sat on the edge, reaching one hand forward and curving it gently along the side of her face. With the other hand he pushed her hair back and tucked it behind her ear, then leaned forward and kissed the tip of her nose. "No, my reasons have nothing to do with housekeeping skills."

"Oh, really? What _do_ they have to do with?" Andy asked, trying to resist the urge to pull him down on top of her.

"Well," he drawled, "I do like the way you make peanut butter sandwiches, and..."

Andy stopped him in mid-sentence by putting her hand gently against his lips, shaking her head a little. "Sam, please just come here and kiss me," she implored.

His eyes widened a little, and whatever he had planned to say next faded away. "I could do that," he said softly, and leaned forward. Andy parted her lips as his mouth came down on hers, and as the kiss deepened she lost herself in the sensation. When it finally ended she gasped a little, slightly out of breath.

"Now would you please come into bed with me?" she coaxed. "Maybe we could do that some more."

Sam lay down beside her and gathered her into his arms. "We could definitely do that," he said thoughtfully, "Or maybe we could try some of this," he went on, one hand trailing down the side of her neck and over her collarbone until it could gently cup her breast. His fingers circled her taut nipple. "Or this," and he let go of her breast to continue over her ribs to her stomach. He paused there a moment until Andy reached down and covered his hand with her own. She guided it further still until she could press his fingers into the slick wet heat between her thighs. He curled them slightly so he could slide two deep inside her, and she moaned a little. "Yeah, maybe we'll keep on with this for awhile." Sam's voice was husky, and with his other hand he lifted her face away from his chest so he could see the effect he was having.

Andy's eyes were wide and her cheeks were flushed, and she seemed to be having trouble breathing. She raised one hand to the back of his neck and pulled his face down so she could kiss him again. The kiss went on and on, as Sam's fingers continued to stroke and smooth, spread and enclose, flutter and probe until every nerve and muscle was stimulated and Andy was writhing under his touch.

Then, for just a moment, as everything seemed to tremble and quiver, to spark and flare, and they gazed deep into one another's eyes, Sam raised his eyebrows just slightly, as if asking, "Now?" And Andy gave the slightest nod, "Now."

Their bodies fitted together as if made for only that purpose, and they moved with gathering urgency until they paused, holding still for one brief moment. Then with a final thrust Sam emptied himself into her, and Andy felt herself throbbing and contracting around him until at last they lay still and quiet in each other's arms.

As their breathing and heartbeats returned to normal, Andy sighed and stretched, then curled back towards Sam who lay motionless beside her. Her face pressed against his chest, she could feel the strong, steady rhythm of his heart. With the last of his energy Sam reached across her to pull her close, and they fell asleep in each other's arms.


End file.
